Drive to Green GKVK Campus begins

“Hasiru Nadige”, a monthlong mass tree planting programme for enriching and preserving the biodiversity of the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK) campus at Hebbal, received an overwhelming response on Sunday.

The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, and the Department of Forests, who have jointly organised the programme, plan to plant at least 5,000 saplings on the campus.

Students, research fellows, and staffs of the university and the department participated in the programme.

Saplings of endangered tree species will be planted to maintain the ecological balance on the campus, Dr. Gowda said.

The aim was to conserve endangered tree species, he added.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and other government agencies have axed hundreds of trees across the city for various development projects, S. Ajit Kumar, a student, said. Large-scale felling of trees would definitely affect the ecological balance, he said.

It is everyone’s duty to maintain ecological balance at their workplace. Corporate companies should also hold such massive tree planting drives on their premises, an officer of the Yelahanka Range Forest Office said. The Forest Department would provide saplings if corporate companies come forward to organise tree planting drives, the officer said.

Conservator of Forests (Bangalore Circle) Kumar Pushkar, Yelahanka Range Forest Officer Veeranna, Director of Extension of the university R.S. Kulkarni and environmentalist Yellappa Reddy were among those present.